Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island
by Sherry1997
Summary: On a lonely stretch of welsh coastline a fisherman is killed by a hideous creature from beneath the waves. When the Doctor and Rose arrive, they discover a village where the children are plagued by nightmares, and the nights are ruled by monsters. The villagers suspect that ailing industrialist Nathaniel Morton is to blame, but the doctor has suspicions of his own.
1. Chapter 1

**QUICK NOTE: I do not own doctor who or the characters OR the nightmare of black island. I just copied this out from the book I bought when I was a kid. I now have box of them (YAY!) :) I am a big fan of david Tennant and Billie Piper cuz they are amazing actors. I 3 them! Anyone who thinks david is not the best doctor wil be EXTERMINATED by the most popular monsters, TEH DALEKS *****Sound of dalek ray gun being fired* Muhahahaha.**

**Ps. This chapter is 7 pages long but thats not the longest chapter youll be reading.**

Chapter 1: Carl

The first clap of thunder echoed off the cliff face like cannon fire, sending gulls shrieking into the dark, brooding sky. Out across the waves a bright fork of lightning lit up the purple clouds on the horizon and, with another ominous rumble of thunder, the rain swept in from the sea.

Carl Jenkins looked up in despair and struggled with the hood of his jacket as a sharp gust of wind swirled the rain around him. He glowered angrily at the sky as the rain became a torrent, and cursed his luck. The weather had been against him almost as soon as he set out on this holiday. When he left his flat in bristol the sun had been shining and his spirits had been high. He should have known that his fortunes where going to change soon as he saw the boiling clouds on the other side of the severn bridge. It was typical. Every trip he made into Wales was the same.

Paying the toll was like putting coins into a laundrette washing machine: no sooner had they clunked into the slot than the water started to pour. The brochure advertising holidays in west wales that had fallen out of his local newspaper had seemed ideal. The photographs of the bays and cliffs tops looked idyllic, but it had been a paragraph about the fishing that had finally convinced carl to pick up the phone and book.

His father had been a great fisherman. Old family holidays had always started with a regular routine of unpacking long canvas bags from the attic, checking rods and reels, sprucing up floats. The entire exercise fascinated carl and there had always been that extra thrill of danger when his father untied the small pouch filled with gleaming hooks, pointing out sternly that they were not to be touched under any circumstances. Not that he would have gone anywhere near them. The wicked barbs on the tips had terrified him and he had always curled his hands into fists so that there was no chance one of those metal spikes could get near his fingers.

Carl had spent a pleasant couple of hours pulling his fathers rods and bags from the attic and checking that everything was in working order. Its came as some surprise to find that the bag of hooks still sent a familliar chill down his spine, and he found himself smiling at how stupid childhood memories continued to have such a strong influence. Ynys Du had seemed like an ideal spot. The village was small and pretty with a couple of decent pubs, the campsite was only a few minutes walk from the centre and the brochure had pointed out several good spots for fishing along the coast. There was even a disused lighthouse on the island out in the bay- a ragged lump of black rock that explained the name of the village- and the photographs in the brochure had given the entire area a picture-postcard feel.

The truth was that now, under the dark and brooding sky that had loomed low overhead ever since his arrival, the village had a completely different feel. The long, tangled line of rocks along the coast that looked so pretty in the sunlight had taken on a harsh, jagged feel, the waves boiling angrily along their edge sending spray high into the air. On top of all that, the campsite was deserted, his little orange tent the only one. He hadn't even been able to get hold of the site owner.

Carl shivered inside his jacket. The rain was icy cold and the wind was starting to cut right through him. He glanced back along the coast at the village. As the rain soaked into the stone of the buildings, the entire village seemed to darken and solidify, becoming cold and unfriendly. Another loud crack of thunder made him jump. It suddenly seemed like a very long walk back to the relative comfort of his tent, and he was aware of how treacherous the paths along the cliffs were becoming as they started to stream with water. With a deep sigh, he started to reel in his line, wincing as lightning arced across the waves. The lighthouse that had been so picturesque in the brochure now stood out like a dark, omnious spire in the water, the black rocks at its base flecked with foam from the raging ocean.

A sudden flare of pale light made carl glance up, puzzled. That hadnt been lightning. He brushed away the stray strands of hair that had matted themselves across his face and peered through the lashing rain at the looming shape of the island in the bay. Surely that flash had come from the lighthouse...

As he struggled to see through the rainwater stinging his face, another faint pulse of light lit up the clouds. It had come from the lighthouse! He could see a faint flicker of sickly green-grey light from the lamp room. He frowned. The lighthouse was meant to be deserted; it was a relic from the days Ynys Du had been a busy mining community and ships had had to pick their way through the treacherous sandbanks that lay just off the coast. According to the guidebook, it hadnt been used since the 1970s. He reached for one of the canvas bags at his side. His binoculars were tucked into a leather case in there, packed with the fishing gear in case there was an opportunity for bird watching. Shaking rain from his eyes, carl groped around in the sodden bag. He gave a sudden cry as he felt a searing pain.

He whipped his hand back from the bag, tears of agony welling in his eyes, struggling not to let the rod clatter down the rocks and into the swirling sea. Blood streamed down his hand, diluted by the lashing rain, and he could see the gleaming end of one of the fishhooks protruding through the tip of his thumb. Stumbling to his feet, Carl tried to wedge the hook under his arm, turning his back to the wind and pulling at the hook. He felt sick and dizzy. All the nightmares about fishhooks that he had as a kid suddenly threatened to overwhelm him. The hook was buried quite deep and there was no way he was going to be able to just pull it free without tearing out a good portion of his flesh with it.

His stomach heaved and for a moment he thought he might faint. He tried to slow his breathing. He was being stupid. It was just a fishhook for gods sake. He was a grown man, not a frightened kid. He had a pair of pliers back in the car. All he had to do was snip off the barb and the rest of the hook would slide out easily. The cold was already numbing his hand, dulling the pain. He tried to wipe the blood from his palm, fumbling in his pocket for a handkerchief. Then two things happened at once: A childs laughter, shockingly close, made him stumble back in alarm, and at the same time the rod jerked in his arms, bending sharply as something heavy hauled on the line. Carl struggled to keep his footing on the rain-slick grass as the tug on the rod became an insistent pressure, the reel spinning uncontrollably. The laughter came again and a tiny shape appeared out of the rain. A small child, a young boy no more than five years old, dressed in flannel pyjamas and clutching a bedraggled soft toy, stared at him through the downpour, seemingly unaware of the biting wind. The boy raised a pale hand, pointing at carl and giggled, the wind swirling the sound eerily across the cliff tops. Carl felt a sudden chill of fear as he realised the child wasnt pointing at him but past him, at something in the water. The line continued to unwind wildly, the noise from the reel now a high pitched scream. As carl started to turn, the rod was wrenched violently from his grip, sending him sprawling.

With a guttural, bubbling roar, something vast and glistening emerged from the raging ocean. Carl started in disbelief as the thing clawed its way up the rocks, waves breaking on its broad back. It was huge, well over two metres tall, its skin a mass of barnacle-covered heavy plates and iridescent scales, a patchwork of different bright colours altogether too gaudy for any creature carl had ever seen. Its head was squat and crested, with spines emerging directly from its shoulders. The jaw worked spasmodically, as if struggling to draw breath, and its eyes glowed a deep fiery red. It hauled itself over the rocks with four powerfully muscled arms, claws gouging out great lumps as it came. The red eyes fixed on him and the creature threw back its head and gave a bellowing roar. Bright tongues of flame burned in its throat. as if at its centre was a vast ball of fire. Steam hissed around it as the rain boiled on its skin. Carl started to scrabble away, but the creature bounded forward, looming over him, shrieking in triumph. As it raised one huge paw in the air, carl realised with horror that its claws were barbed and metallic, like fishhooks. He closed his eyes as the huge arm swept down and was suddenly aware of a sharp pain, and then there was nothing but the sound of rain, and sea, and the laughter of a small child, slowly fading.

**Again this was copied from the book, I only wanted to put it on here in case no one had the book bought or they wanted a doctor who novel to read :3 it was not in any way my idea. All rights go to the creator of doctor who and the creator of the novel XxX **

Sherry1997


	2. Chapter 2

**YAY! Got my review on the first chapter of Nightmare of Black Island. It sucks to lose your favourite doctor who books after a long time I know but I got LOADS and Ill be able to post them up onto fanfiction! :3 I am not the owner of doctor who. All rights go to the creator of the novel Mike Tucker, The BBC and the other creators of the books I will be putting up soon :P Im not sure about putting them up though...**

**Chapter 2: The Dream**

Way out in the depths of space, the police box shell of the TARDIS appeared in a blaze of blue light, tumbling end over end in the dark. It spun for a moment, as if getting its bearings, and then, with a swirling kaleidoscope of shimmering colour flaring around it, vanished again into the time vortex. Inside the Doctor sat cross-legged on the floor, poking and prodding at the tangle of tubes and pipes that wound their way through the coral like growths and protuberances of the central control console. Above him the huge glass and crystal column of the time rotor rose and fell in steady progression, keeping time like the tick of a huge clock, or the beat of a heart. The lights in the console room were dim and low, the huge curving walls in shadow, the indented roundels glowing softly with emerald light. Rose was curled up on the battered control room chair, the doctors long brown coat draped over her like a blanket. She was fast asleep, her breathing slow and measured, keeping pace with the rotor.

The doctor peered round the console at her, smiling. It was rare to see her so quiet and still; she was usually such a bundle of tireless energy, always keen to head off to the next great adventure, to find somewere new to explore. The steady background hum from the console suddenly changed in pitch for a moment and there was a faint moan from rose as she stirred on the chair. The doctor frowned and clambered to his feet, peering at a flashing light on the console. "Well thats not right... Not right at all." He pulled a pair of thick-rimmed glasses from his jacket pocket and leaned forward, his nose almost brushing the controls. He tapped at a read-out. "What are you flashing for? Your not meant to flash. If I'd wanted you to flash I'd have put you somewhere more obvious, more flashy."

There was another bleep from the other side of the console. The doctor hurried around to where a new set of lights had blinked into life, twisting controls as he went. A cluster of symbols flickered on to one of to many screens that littered the surface and there was a low electronic burbling from somewhere deep in the machinery below him. Rose twisted in her sleep again, her brow furrowing. The doctors gaze went from the console to rose and back again, and he pulled off his glasses, chewing on one of the arms thoughtfully. "Now what are you two talking about? All girls together is it?" Pushing his glasses back into his pocket, the Doctor leaned forward and started tapping at the controls.

Rose knew she was dreaming. She knew because she could see herself, as if she was another person, from just over her right shoulder. It was odd, looking at the back of your own head, seeing everything from someone elses perspective. A small part of her subconscious was aware of the fact that her hair was getting straggly and needed a cut, perhaps a bit of colour, But mostly she noticed that she was outdoors, in the rain and floating a couple of metres off the ground. She looked around, taking in the vague, unreal surroundings of her dream. As dreams went, it wasnt particularly exotic. She was on the coast, almost certainly britain. The scrubby grass and tangle of gorse bushes were unmistakably British. And yes, there were sheep grazing in the distant fields. As far as she was aware, sheep were peculiar to earth; in her travels with the Doctor she hadn't yet come across any space sheep...

She giggled, aware that it was turning out to be a very odd and mundane dream, where she noticed the child looking at her: a small child in pyjamas, clutching a soft toy, staring straight at her and smiling. For some reason that she couldn't explain, a shiver ran down Rose's spine. The child started to laugh and the sky darkened, lightning cracking through the air. Rose found herself moving now, swooping over the gorse, sailing out off the cliff and sweeping down over the water. Dark shapes loomed up from the darkness: cliffs, jagged rocks, a lighthouse, its paintwork faded and peeling, the glass in the lamp room cracked and broken. Pale, sickly green light washed over her and she was aware of masked figures watching her, chattering in a strange incomprehensible language. The lighthouse sped past and a roar suddenly cut through the air, harsh and terrifying Roses dream rapidly degenerated into nightmare as a vile four armed creature hauled itself from the sea below her. Steam curled around it and the sea boiled as it lumbered on to dry land. Rain hissing on its armoured skin. Its claws reached out for something lying on the ground and rose realised with horror that it was a young man, fishing equipment scattered around him, his arms raised in a futile attempt to ward the creature off as he scrabbled backwards over the wet grass.

Rose desperately wanted to look away, already knowing what was going to come next, but, as is the way with nightmares, she couldn't tear her eyes from the horror unfolding before her. The creature let out another guttural bellow. Flames leapt from its throat and rose felt a hot, fetid air wash over her. A monstrous arm swung into the air and she gasped as she caught sight of wickedly barbed claws glinting in the rain. As the arm came down, the young fisherman slumped backwards, his blood staining the rocks. The creature turned and fixed Rose with blazing eyes. It roared again, reaching out for her. Rose tried to scream but no sound would come from her throat. Above the roars of the creature she thought she could hear the sound of a child laughing. Then the huge taloned hands closed around her...

And she woke with a start, almost tumbling from the chair. The Doctor looked up from a screen, concern in his eyes. "Are you all right?" Rose ran a hand through her hair, her eyes flickering around the shadows that pooled in the corners of the console room. "Yeah, a dream, thats all. A nightmare." She shivered, pulling the doctors coat around her shoulders. "Not surprising really is it? Considering the stuff we end up seeing..." She rubbed sleep from her eyes and shuffled over to where the Doctor was prodding at the console. "Dont you ever sleep?"

"Nah. Tried it once, didnt like it. I prefer it when its quiet." Rose gave a snort. "Yeah right. Like its ever quiet with you." She nodded at the console. "What are you doing?" It seems your not the only one who was having nightmares." He cocked his head to one side and peered at her. "Can you remember what your dream was about?"

"Things. Creatures..."

"Creatures?"

"Yeah, I was at the coast. Not a beach with sand, but lots of rocks... and a lighthouse. There was a storm. And a kid, a little boy who kept laughing. Then this thing came out of the sea, a big sea monster sort of thing, four arms, breathing fire. It killed a man, a fisherman, and it was starting to turn on me..." The doctors frown deepened. "Well isn't that strange." Rose was puzzled. "Why? Whats up with that? It was just a dream, wasnt it?" The doctor nodded at the screen in front of him. "Seems like you and the TARDIS both had the same dream. We picked up some very odd readings while you were asleep. I've been tracing them back to their source." Rose crossed to his side, peering over his shoulder "Oh my god!" On the screen was a long stretch of rocky coast, harsh and windswept. Out in the waves was a jagged lump of black rock, the long, slender shape of a lighthouse stabbing towards the heavy clouds. "Thats the place!" Rose stared in disbelief "Thats where I was in my dream!" The Doctor looked up at her with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes. "And if the place is real, then the creature might be real as well. Shall we go and take a look?" Before rose had a chance to answer, the Doctor darted round the console, spinning wheels and pumping energetically at some of the TARDIS's more jerry-rigged controls.

With a grind of ancient engines, the TARDIS started to turn, and rose realised with a thrill of terror that quite possibly she was about to confront the creature from her nightmare.

**I have until page 250 then its done! Its gonna take time though. Be patient please :)**

**Ps. This chapter is from pages 13 to 19 in the book if you still have the novel :)**

**Disclaimer: Once again I am not the owner nor do I have the rights of Doctor Who. All credit goes to Mike Tucker and the BBC. I do not own any of it!**

Sherry1997


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Once again I am not the owner of nor do I have the rights to Doctor Who. All credit goes to Mike Tucker and the BBC. I only copied this from the book and I am not claiming that this work is mine!**

**Chapter 3 is chapter 1 from the actual book. Pages 21- 34 and 12-14 pages long**

The moon gleamed fitfully through the long fingers of cloud that scudded across its face, sending sparkling highlights flickering over the foaming waves. The storm that had whipped the ocean into such a frenzy was far away now, the rumble of thunder just a distant boom over the hills, the lightning a faint glow occasionally illuminating the sky. A new sound joined the rhythmic hiss of waves on shingle, a rasping, grinding noise, rising and falling in pitch, building in volume until, with a loud thump, the TARDIS appeared from nowhere on the cliff top, Incongruous among the windswept gorse. With a rattling of the latch, the door swung inwards and the Doctor stepped out into the cold night air, coat billowing in the wind. Rose emerged tentatively after him, looking around nervously. The Doctor spread his arms wide and took a long, deep breath. "Come on Rose.. Get a good lungful of that fresh sea air." Rose pulled her parka tight around her. "You'll get a great lungful of fresh sea water if your not careful. Its freezing out here!"

"Its a bit fresh, I'll admit. He twirled, fixing her with a piercing gaze. "Is this the place?"

"Yeah. It is. The same as I saw in my dream. Its weird."

"Marvellous!" The Doctor smiled happily, pulling the TARDIS key from his pocket and locking the police box door. Rose turned slowly around. Everything was horribly familiar. The tall, jagged cliffs, the brooding sky. Along the coast she could see the lights from the village, tucked into the curve of the bay, a tiny harbour jutting out into the cold grey sea. A noise made her jump, a long wail, drawn out and plaintive. On the next headland over she could see the lights of a lonely farmhouse, a trail of smoke whipped from its chimney by the driving wind. She caught the Doctor by the arm. "Listen." The Doctor turned from the TARDIS, head cocked to one side. The sound came again, high pitched and almost cat-like, cutting through the sound of the wind. Rose felt goosebumps run down her spine. "Its a baby. Poor thing sounds terrified."

"Its not happy certainly." The Doctor pulled a pair of opera glasses from his coat and peered at the lights blazing from the distant farm buildings. "And keeping the house awake by the looks of things."

"Where are we exactly?" Rose asked

"Wales, according to the instruments." The Doctor swung his gaze out towards the horizon. "West coast, just along from Tenby, I think. Village called Ynys Du."

"Come again?"

"Black Island. Not the kind of place you usually find ravening four-armed creatures, I must admit, but probably very good for sea bass. Ah..."

"What is it?"

The Doctor nodded out to sea. "Your mysterious lighthouse?" Rose followed his gaze The racing clouds cleared from the moon for a moment and she could make out the tall, slender shape rising from the jagged mound of black rock in the bay. She shivered again, though this time not from the cold. "Yeah thats it." The Doctor ajusted a small dial on the opera glasses, peering intently at the light house through the computer-enhanced lenses. "Doesn't look as though its been used for years. Shame. Make a nice little home, that would. Tricky to get your milk delivered, but no problem with the neighbours."

"Great if you like fish."

"Exactly!" He lowered the glasses and turned to her. "Where did you see the fisherman?" Rose nodded down the cliff. A well worn path snaked through the gorse, winding its way to an untidy jumble of rocks at the waters edge. "Down there, on the rocks." The Doctor raised his opera glasses again, scanning the coast. "No sign of any monsters...Hello..." Rose's heart jumped. "What is it? Have you seen it?"

"I think theres someone there." The Doctor frowned. "Thought I caught a glimpse of someone at the shoreline."

"The creature?"

"Not unless it's taken to wearing a long white coat." He tucked the glasses back into his pocket. "Come on. Lets take a closer look." The Doctor set off down the rocky path, his own coat billowing out behind him. "Hang about!" Rose set off after him a little more cautiously. The rain and spray had made the path treacherous and gorse barbs tore at her clothes as she pushed her way down the narrow sheep track. By the time she reached the bottom, the hems of her jeans were streaked with mud, her trainers sodden. The path ended at a narrow spit of land, scrubby grass that sloped down the sea. Huge wet boulders, flecked with foam and seaweed lay jumbled up against the shore. The Doctor was squatted on top of one of them, seemingly oblivious to the spray that swirled around him each time a wave crashed in. He was prodding at the rock with his sonic screwdriver. He glanced up at her as she picked her way over. "Nothing. No sign of monster, fisherman, anything..."

"What about your white-coated figure?"

"No." The Doctor pursed his lips. "no sign of him or her, either."

"Well they can't have got past us. There's no other way down from the cliffs and they'd be mad to take a boat out in this. You must have been seeing things." The Doctor hopped down from his rock. "Perhaps I dreamt them."

"Thats not funny."

"Neither is this. look" The Doctor pointed at a rock pool, little more than a crevice in the wet rock. Rose raised a hand to her mouth. Among the seaweed and barnacles the pool was bright red. The Doctor knelt down, scanning the liquid with his screwdriver. Rose knelt next to him. "Is it..."

"Blood, yes." The Doctors face was grim. "There's more here. And here." Leading Rose by the hand, the Doctor followed the gruesome trail across the rocks, pool after pool filled with diluted blood. Their route led back from the rocks to a patch of flattened grass. The Doctor knelt down once more and pressed his palm to the ground. It came away stained a deep red. Rose stared in horror at the large dark patch that discoloured the grass. "Theres so much of it." The Doctors face was grim. "So wheres the body?"

"Perhaps the thing took it back into the sea. You know. Food?"

"Possibly." Rose looked around. "No, hang about. He was a fisherman. He had bags, rods and stuff. They've gone too."

"Well I can't see our mysterious creature being an avid fishing fan somehow." The Doctor shook his head and wiped his hands on a patch of clean grass. "No. Someone has been here, cleaning up after their pet." Rose looked at him in horror. "You dont think-"

"I dont know what to think yet." He gave her a reassuring smile. "But we're not going to find out anything more down here, not tonight at any rate. We should try the village. Ask around. Someone must know something."

"We're gonna have to try and find his friends. His family. Let them know that he's..."

"That could raise some awkward questions. But yes, You're right. We'll have to do it." The Doctor caught her by the hand "C'mon. Let's get away from here." And with that the two of them started to pick their way back up the slippery path to the cliff top, Rose leading the way, pushing determinedly through the gorse, trying to avoid the signs of violence that were now so obvious all around them. Something made the Doctor glance back at the dark shape of the light house in the bay. A glint of light caught his eye. He stopped, fumbling for the opera glasses in his pocket again, but whatever the light was it vanished just as suddenly as it appeared. He frowned, unsure of what he had seen. "What is it?" Rose had stopped on the path ahead of him, looking back in concern.

"Nothing, C'mon. We're nearly at the top." Rose shrugged and stared upwards again, and after a few seconds the Doctor followed. There was something dangerous here, of that he was certain, and in retrospect wandering around wet cliff tops in the dark in pursuit of a vicious monster wasn't the most sensible decision he had ever made. The village was the obvious place to go. Lights and people, and perhaps some answers. He clambered the last few steps to the top of the cliff. Rose was waiting for him, the hood of her parka pulled tight against the wind. Fat drops of rain were starting to whip in from the sea again and a clap of thunder sounded, closer now as the storm circled around for a second time. "Now where?" Rose shouted above the wind. The Doctor spun on his heel. A clear track led away from the cliffs towards a patch of woodland that arced down towards a patch of woodland that arced down towards thre village in the bay. A coastal path. Probably heaving with walkers and families when the weather was good. "This way!"

They raced for the cover of the wood as the storm finally broke again and the wind swirled icy rain around them. They reached the tree line breathless, The Doctor's hair plastered to his forehead. Rose giggled at him. "Why can't you ever take us somewhere nice and warm?"

"Hey!" The Doctor looked indignant. "I took you to new earth! Apple grass, remember?"

"Yeah! Not exactly a relaxing break, though, being taken over..."

"The sign of a good holiday!" He flicked the water from his fringe. "Anyway, now I've brought you to a nice wood. A nice wet wood."

"A nice wet, dark wood."

"Yes." The Doctor peered into the gloom. "Actually it's more tulgy than wet. Yes. Definitely a tulgy wood." He set off down the leaf-strewn path. "Lovely word "tulgy". Doesnt get enought use. Very good for describing woods...and puddings. I've had some wonderfully tulgy puddings in my time." Rose hurried to catch him up. "Tulgy puddings? what sort of restaurants have you been eating in?"

"You never had a tulgy pudding? Oh you haven't lived." Rose hooked her arm through his. "OK, you can buy me a tulgy pudding some day." The Doctor smiled at her, aware that she needed her mind taking off of what she had seen on the rocks. "Done!" The two set off along the path. "Lewis Carroll. He was an odd one. Real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Completely denied having anything to do with the alice books, daft as a brush. You'd have liked him! Loved inventing words. Ever read jabberwocky? Loads of good words in there. Tulgy, whiffling, galumphing and burbled. How come burbled gets to be in the Oxford English Dictionary but tulgy doesn't? Hm?" Before Rose could reply, a low rumbling growl brought the two of them to a sudden halt. "That wasnt a burble." she whispered.

"No"

The Doctors eyes darted from tree to tree. The wood was a jumble of long shadows and tangled undergrowth. The moon cast pale pools of light among the wet leaves as the clouds uncovered it for a moment. then the trees were plunged into darkness once again. The Doctor rummaged in his pocket and there was the harsh rasp of a match on sandpaper. Light flared, casting flickering shadows through the dripping wood. Rose grasped the proffered match gratefully as the Doctor lit another. "Everlasting matches?" She asked. The Doctor nodded, eyes narrowing as he desperately searched for the source of the growl. There was a crackle of twigs and leaves as something large and unseen slowly circled them. "I don't suppose you've got a vorpal blade tucked away in that coat of yours?" The Doctor gave her a brief smile. "Only a vorpal penknife, I'm afraid. And a blunt one at that." There was another throaty rumble and Rose clutched the Doctors arm. "Over there!"

The Doctor followed her gaze. A large shape crouched in the shadows of an oak tree, the light from the flickering matches gleaming in its eyes. The Doctor could count at least fourteen eyes. He reached out for Rose. "Rose, I want you to take my hand and start backing away slowly. Don't run until I say run." The two of them started backing away from the shadowed monster. With a shattering roar, it broke cover, crashing through the wet leaves towards them. "Freeze!" The Doctor hissed. The creature was huge and grey, its face a mass of shiny black eyes and jutting fangs, the body slick with vile-smelling slime. Eight thick, fleshy tentacles sprang from the glistening body, writhing through the mulch of the woodland floor, dragging the creature forward. Dozens of huge suckers pulsed wetly on each tentacle. The Doctor peered at it in puzzled fascination. The creature seemed... wrong, somehow, thrown together, not the product of any normal evolutionary process. He took a step forward, intending to get a closer look, but Rose hauled him back frantically. "What are you doing?"

"Wanted to see if I could get a better look at it, have a bit of a chat, find out what its doing here." He gave her a stern look. "Its not at all like you described it. Nothing like! Wrong number of arms for starters. We'll have to give you a few lessons in alien identification when we get back to the TARDIS."

"If we get back to the TARDIS, you mean, in case you hadn't noticed, that thing is looking at us as if we're lunch. Besides, its not the wrong number of arms because thats not the thing I saw." There was a shattering roar from behind them. The two of them spun to see another creature emerging from the shadows. "That's the one I saw." said Rose "Oh. Right-o, Sorry." The Doctor gave her a weak smile. "I think it might be time to run now." Rose rolled her eyes "You think?"

"RUN!"

The Doctor and Rose plunged off the path, pushing through the tangle of tree roots and brambles. Braches whipped at their faces, catching on their clothes. Behind them they could hear the frustrated roars of the creatures and the sound of trees crashing to the floor as the two monsters tried to tear their way through in pursuit. "They're too big to follow us in here!" shouted the Doctor "Keep to where the wood is dense!" The two of them struggled forward, ducking under fallen trees, scrambling up muddy banks. Finally they stumbled into a small clearing and the Doctor waved at Rose to stop. "Slow down. I think we've lost them." Rose slumped against a tree, breathing hard. She tilted her head back, letting raindrops from the leaves splash on her face. "I'll tell you one thing. Being with you keeps a girl fit." The Doctor beamed breathlessly at her. "Fun to be with and good for you. Gotta be just what the doctor ordered."

"What were those things?"

"Dunno. Nothing I've ever seen before."

"Something you dont know... I knew there had to be something."

"It happens occasionally. Tell you what I do know, though..."

"Yeah?"

"We're nearly out of the woods."

He nodded through the trees. Ahead of them, about 200 metres away, yellow light glowed warmly. "Street lamps?" The Doctor nodded "Civilization, of a sort."

Rose smiled, then froze. The rain splashing on to her face had suddenly got warm. And thick. She wiped a hand across her face and saw strands of sticky slime trailing from her fingers. She looked up in disgust. And screamed.

A huge centipede loomed over her, hanging from an overhead branch. It must have been over two metres long. Its thick body bristling with hairs and thick slime dripping from razor sharp mandibles. It lunged at her, hissing viciously. Rose stumbled backwards, her foot slipping on the wet earth. She crashed to the ground, the air punched out of her . The centipede gave a hiss of triumph and surged forward.

Suddenly there was a sharp piercing whine and the creature dropped from the tree, writhing on the ground in agony, mandibles snapping uselessly at the air. The Doctor stood on the other side of the clearing, sonic screwdriver held out before him, the blue light at its lip gleaming brightly in the gloom.

He darted forward, dodging out of the way to the squirming monster , and hauled rose to her feet. He handed her a large spotted handkerchief and she wiped her face gratefully. "How many more of these things are there?" The Doctor nodded over her shoulder , his face grim. "Lots unfortunately."

Sherry1997


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: Once again I am not the owner of Doctor Who. The BBC owns it and Mike Tucker owns his work. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF IT. So incase something bad happens I will only do a certain amount of chapters since this book is supposedly copyrighted then youll have to buy the book to find out the rest muahahahhac*Cough Cough* **

The Doctor and Rose hared through the wood, desperate to reach the distant lights. Through the trees behind them came monsters of every description: Big ones, small ones, all colours, and shapes. Some bounded forward on muscular legs, others skittered from tree to tree. They slithered, they crawled, some even flew, pursuing them through the dark, baying like a pack of hounds. The noise was deafening.

Rose's breath was burning in her chest. She fought the instinct to look back. She felt that any minute now one of the monstrosities behind them would reach out with a feeler or a claw and snatch her into the middle of the howling throng. She remembered the blood pools on the beach, dark stains all that was left of a young man, and started to run faster.

The lights ahead of them were tantalisingly close, but Rose just wasn't sure what happened once they reached them. She glanced at the Doctor, who was racing alongside her. His eyes were fixed on the lights at the edge of the wood, his jaw was set. Suddenly she knew that it would be all right. He was the Doctor. And he had a plan!

At that point something that looked like an oversized mosquito swooped at the Doctor's head, its wings droning. It stabbed down at him with a wickedly sharp proboscis.

The Doctor battled it away frantically and as it darted off, buzzing angrily, its long legs brushed Rose's hair. She jerked backwards, stumbling and almost falling. The Doctor caught her and hauled her to her feet.

"Come on! We're almost there!"

They burst from the woods on to a tarmacked road, a cul-de-sac, lined with parked cars and small identical houses. Street lamps cast a harsh yellow glow and down the hill Rose could see the lights of the harbour. She hurled herself into the middle of the road, spinning round to stare back at the wood, oblivious to the rain. The creatures hovered at the tree line, as if wary about stepping out into the light. One of them, a squat lizard with claws that dragged along the floor, edged forward tentatively. Rose glanced nervously over the Doctor. He was staring around at the houses in disbelief.

"No, no, no. This is all wrong!"

"What is it?" Rose's heart was in her mouth. "What's the matter?"

"This estate!" The Doctor nodded at the houses. "It's all wrong. Not in keeping with the rest of the village at all! Why do they let people build things like this? Its not on, you know, modern estate like this in a conservation area. I've a good mind to write to the council."

Rose was speechless. The monsters were emerging from the trees now, there was nowere to hide and the Doctor was wittering on about sympathetic building styles!

"Still," he went on. "Its probably attracting new people to the area and everyone living round here's obvously doing quite well. Couple of cars in each driveway, quite a few four-by-fours... which is good, cause it allows me to do this!"

He raised his sonic screwdriver , winked at Rose and pressed his thumb against the button. Every car alarm went off simultaneously, Rose clamped her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the cacophony. The noise was horrendous, but she thought she could just make out the howls of the creatures over the din.

Then just as suddenly, it stopped.

Rose looked up, The Doctor was standing in the middle of the street, grinning happily. He tucked his sonic screwdriver back into his pocket and nodded over at her "That worked then."

The monsters were gone. it was as if they had never existed. She and the Doctor were in what looked like an ordinary housing estate. Unremarkable, Boring.

Lights started to come on and curtains were pulled back as people stared out into their driveways. A door opened and a man in his dressing gown peered out them, his face uncertain, angry.

Rose cocked her head to one side, listening. From inside the house she could hear a child crying. Rose look over at the Doctor. "Listen." The Doctor had heard it too. "Yes."

The man in the dressing gown took a tentative step towards them. "What are you doing out there?" he shouted. "Dont you realise how late it is?"

More lights were coming on all over the estate now, more curtains twitching. The Doctor started to make his way down the hill towards the harbour. He turned to Rose

"Come on. we'd better make ourselves scarce. Probably not a good idea to stay outside."

Rose hurried to catch him up. "You think those things are still going to be around? I thought you'd got rid of them."

"The noise seemed to scare them off, but I've got no idea where they went. And I certainly don't know where they came from."

The faceless modern style of the estate gave way to a more rustic flavour, with small stone cottages, shops full of postcards and tourist paraphernalia, tearooms with posters advertising trips around the bay in their windows. Fishing boats and small yatchs bobbed in the harbour, halyards clanking in the wind.

The Doctor strode down to the harbour wall, hands thrust into the pockets of his coat, and stared out across the water.

"Thats one bit of the puzzle, out there sure of it."

Rose followed his gaze. "The lighthouse?"

"Yeah. Maybe. Thought I caught a glimpse of a light out there when we were up on the clifftop, just before we went into the woods."

"And that's whats causing the creatures?"

"Could be. Need to get out there and have a gander at some point."

Rose peered over the wall at the churning water. "Bit cold for a dip."

"I was thinking a nice little boat trip."

"You can't just nick someones boat!"

"I wasnt going to!" The Doctor looked indignant."I was going to use my boyish charm to persuade one of the locals."

"Oh yeah? Rose stifled a smile "And where were you hoping to try out this boyish charm of yours. In case you haven't noticed, its the middle of the night and the place is deserted."

The Doctor turned and nodded at the large, imposing building that dominated the seafront.

"The pub"

"Bit late for that, isnt it?"

"Lights are still on. Perhaps they're having a lock-in. Come on."

**TBC**

**Ill continue this another time guys. Please be patient! xxx :)**

**Sherry1997 xx**


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